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Cyprus Achieves 23.2% Reduction In Energy Intensity As EU Economies Decouple Growth And Consumption

Overview

Cyprus has recorded a remarkable 23.2% decrease in net domestic energy use intensity over the past decade, signaling a decisive move toward improved energy efficiency. Eurostat reports that the overall EU economy utilized 56.1 million terajoules of energy in 2023, a 4.1% decline from the previous year, as countries continue efforts to decouple economic growth from energy consumption.

Sector Analysis

Within the EU’s energy landscape, public and private sector activities accounted for 72.3% of total energy use, while households consumed the remaining 27.7%. The manufacturing sector emerged as the largest individual consumer at 14.3 million terajoules, representing 25.5% of overall usage. Meanwhile, sectors related to the supply of electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning recorded an 8.7% reduction between 2022 and 2023, while manufacturing registered a 5.5% decline. In contrast, the transportation and storage sector posted an 8.1% increase, reflecting shifting demand patterns.

Comparative Performance And Regional Trends

Cyprus’ performance stands out among regional peers. Greece, for example, registered a 19.6% reduction in energy intensity over the same period. Broader EU trends show mixed progress: Estonia and Ireland recorded the fastest declines in energy consumption, while Malta and Lithuania experienced increases. These differences highlight the importance of targeted policies and infrastructure investment in driving efficiency gains.

Conclusion

The sustained drop in energy intensity demonstrates that economies can increase output without proportional rises in energy consumption. This trend supports a broader EU objective of aligning economic growth with sustainable energy practices. Cyprus’ performance sets a strong benchmark for both businesses and policymakers, illustrating the productivity gains that can be achieved through effective energy management.

EU Services Production Grows As Information And Communication Lead

Services production continued to expand across the European Union in August 2026, with information and communication recording the strongest annual growth. However, performance varied significantly between industries and member states, while Cyprus reported a mixed picture, with business services expanding and hospitality-related activities declining.

Information And Communication Leads Sector Growth

Compared with August 2025, services production increased by 5.9% in the euro area and 5.8% across the EU in information and communication. Transportation and storage also recorded growth, rising by 2.1% and 1.9%, respectively.

Real estate activities increased by 1.6% in the euro area and 1.1% in the EU. Professional, scientific and technical activities grew by 1% in both areas, while administrative and support services advanced by 1.1% and 1.3%.

Accommodation and food services was the only major sector to record an annual decline, falling by 0.1% in both the euro area and the EU.

The monthly figures were more mixed. Information and communication remained the strongest performer, increasing by 1.2% in the euro area and 1% across the EU. Real estate activities rose by 0.4% and 0.9%, respectively, while transportation and storage edged up 0.1% in the euro area but declined by 0.2% in the EU.

Administrative and support services recorded modest gains of 0.2% in the euro area and 0.1% in the EU. Accommodation and food services fell by 0.3% and 0.4%, while professional, scientific and technical activities declined by 0.8% and 0.9%, respectively.

Slovakia And Greece Record Strongest Annual Growth

Romania recorded the largest monthly increase in services production, at 5.2%, followed by Malta at 1.8% and Portugal at 1.7%. Luxembourg experienced the steepest decline, with output falling by 5.1%, followed by Bulgaria at 2.3% and Denmark at 1.9%.

On an annual basis, Slovakia led with growth of 10%, followed by Greece at 9.3% and Malta at 7.5%. Hungary recorded the weakest performance, with services production declining by 5.6%. Denmark fell by 5.3%, while Italy recorded a smaller decrease of 0.3%.

Cyprus Sees Growth In Business Services But Weakness In Hospitality

Cyprus’ latest figures show a similar divide between expanding business services and weaker hospitality-related activities. According to the Statistical Service of Cyprus (Cystat), professional, scientific and technical activities recorded the strongest annual growth among the covered sectors in the second quarter of 2026, increasing by 3.4%.

Transportation and storage and information and communication both grew by 2.1%, while real estate activities rose by 1.6%. In contrast, accommodation and food services declined by 3.1% year on year, and administrative and support services fell by 2.2%.

First-half results were more favourable for several sectors. Between January and June, professional, scientific and technical activities grew by 3.5%, transportation and storage by 2.8%, real estate by 2.1% and information and communication by 1.3%.

Nevertheless, administrative and support services contracted by 1% over the six-month period, while accommodation and food services declined by 0.7%.

How Cyprus’ Figures Differ From Eurostat’s Data

The Eurostat and Cystat figures measure different aspects of economic activity and are not directly comparable. Eurostat’s services production index tracks changes in the volume of output, whereas Cystat’s Turnover Value Index for Services and Transport measures the value of sales at current prices.

The reporting periods also differ: Eurostat’s figures cover August, while the cited Cypriot data relate to the second quarter and first half of 2026.

Cystat transmits services production data to Eurostat but does not yet publish a separate national production index. Turnover figures therefore remain the main publicly available national indicator for the sector.

Taken together, the data point to continued growth in several of Cyprus’ business-oriented services, alongside persistent pressure on accommodation, food and administrative support activities.

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